7.2.2025

Friday program full of sunshine belonged to children, relays, and stars from ORLEN Sprint

The Friday program of ČEZ Jizerská 50 featured a whole spectrum of cross-country skiing stars on the tracks. In the morning, Mini Jizerská Dr. Max hosted those who are just beginning their journey. In the afternoon, T-Mobile Jizerská corporate relay often saw competitors who had already ended their professional careers. The evening ORLEN Sprint traditionally became the destination for the best competitors in the long-distance skiing peloton. 100,000 CZK was taken to their next stops by Norwegians Alvar Myhlback and Anniken Gjerde Alnaes.

On Friday, the ČEZ Jizerská 50 ensemble woke up to a completely different day than Thursday. The reason was the weather. In Bedřichov, sunny conditions prevailed from the morning, and after an early morning frost, the sun raised temperatures slightly above zero, but the tracks remained in good condition until the evening.

The youngest competitors in Mini Jizerská 50 Dr. Max were the first to enjoy them. Many already train in racing clubs and have years of experience with these competitions, so there was no shortage of high-quality battles on the tracks.

Relay for the Defenders

After the lunch break, participants of the T-Mobile Jizerská corporate relay began setting up their skis. In addition to former top cross-country skiers such as Martin Koukal and Dušan Kožíšek, personalities from other fields who have a connection to sports also took to the tracks.

However, a current star reached the finish line first. Luděk Šeller, a stable member of the national cross-country skiing team, was the first to bring the team of favorites from the Czech Ski Association to victory. He could safely control the finish, as Tomáš Lukeš and Ondřej Pilař had prepared an excellent position for him. The relay was also excellently started in contact with the best men by Tereza Beranová. The fastest lap was recorded by long-distance race specialist Aleš Bohatý, representing the third-place team of the Municipality of Bedřichov and Jizerská o.p.s.

1. Czech Ski Association (Tereza Beranová, Ondřej Pilař, Tomáš Lukeš, Luděk Šeller) 33:53

2. Czech Mint (Theodor Čapek, Vojtěch Prášil, Jan Němec, Tomáš Hasilla) +0:50

3. Municipality of Bedřichov and Jizerská o.p.s. (Aleš Bohatý, Oskar Poluha, Tobiáš Holub, Aleš Martínek) +2:21

Gjerde Alnaes Confirmed Her Recent Form. Myhlback Showed How Sprints Are Done

In the evening, the Bedřichov stadium almost transformed into a disco atmosphere. ORLEN Sprint is a great opportunity for spectators on-site and on ČT Sport to see elite athletes in full action. The short, almost flat circuit offers plenty of contact between competitors, who are also motivated to the finish line by generous financial prizes for the best.

Even World Cup racers Luděk Šeller and Maciej Starega came to test their strength against the long-distance skiing world. However, the competition was so strong that neither of these two world-class athletes made it past the qualification stage. The final also did not feature the winner of the Ski Classics La Venosta race, Oskar Kardin.

Among the women, Czech long-distance skiing stalwarts Tereza Hujerová and Sandra Schützová advanced, but were eliminated in the first semifinal. Likewise, relay winner Tereza Beranová did not succeed in the semifinals.

In the women's final, Anniken Gjerde Alnaes chose an unconventional strategy, confirming her excellent qualification time and outstanding recent form. She clearly dominated the women's final ahead of second-place Louise Lindstroem and third-place Julie Kvale Stoestad.

“I love sprints, even though I hadn't raced one in about two years. I was a bit nervous, but evidently, I still know how to do it,” said the Norwegian, whose most notable sprint achievement was an eighth place in the World Cup.

Women's Sprint

1. Anniken Gjerde Alnaes (NOR, Team Engcon)

2. Louise Lindstroem (SWE, Team Eksjöhus)

3. Julie Kvale Stoestad (NOR, Team Ramudden) 

The men's final brought significantly more battles and tactical maneuvering. Anton Persson entered the final stretch first, but young Alvar Myhlback showed the greatest acceleration at the finish line. Ole Joergen Bruvoll and Vebjoern Moen managed to overtake Persson just before the finish.

“I think this is the most entertaining race of the season, thanks to the great atmosphere here. I wish the finishes in 50 km races were like this,” said the defending ORLEN Sprint champion from 2022 and 2023.

Men’s Sprint

1. Alvar Myhlback (SWE, Lager 157 Ski Team)

2. Ole Joergen Bruvoll (Team Engcon)

3. Vebjoern Moen (Team Eksjöhus)

Tomorrow, regardless of the weather, a completely different atmosphere will prevail at the Bedřichov stadium. While Thursday’s skating courses were a great challenge for avid athletes, the ČT Jizerská 10 and Jizerská 25 will also satisfy recreational skiers, who can look forward to an unforgettable atmosphere and a beautiful medal at the finish.